Table 1 shows one common structure related problems of the 2002 BMW 530.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Body problems |
Spontaneous fire that began under the hood while sitting in the drive-thru line at a fast food restaurant. Vehicle was running, but was stopped at the "pay" window. Began smelling burning odor and then noticed light smoke coming from gap between hood and front quarter panels. While awaiting fire department arrival, flames became visible from the engine area and reached a height approximately 3 feet above the hood. Vehicle had been driven several times that day and showed no signs of malfunction. In addition, there had been no recent work done on the vehicle. Last repair to the vehicle was 6 months prior that consisted of body repair done on the opposite side of the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2002 BMW 530i. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle was exposed to rainy conditions, water would enter and flood the vehicle through the doors. The water was able to enter the vehicle through the door panels due to the materials that the panels were manufactured from, as well as improper sealing. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.